The purpose of this proposal is to develop an Institute for Research into Health Issues of the Disadvantaged. The major objectives of the proposal over the next five years are to: (1) rebuild the RCMI program and expand biomedical research capacity throughout the University over a five year period; (2) extend the research infrastructure to all biomedical and behavioral research units at the TSU; (3) increase the physical space, type and quality of facilities dedicated to biomedical and behavioral research; (4) hire new Ph.D. trained biomedical scientists; and (5) double the number of publications to 16 per year, double the number of NIH proposal submissions to 46 per year and double the number of proposals awarded. The planned new approach for the instituted will focus RCMI research into two categorical areas (Environmental Health and Toxicology and Selected Ethnic Diseases and Health Issues). The infrastructure (facilities, personnel, management and operations) will encompass the two research areas campus wide, maintaining communication among and interface between all of the researchers. TSU will embark on a Biomedical Research Recruitment (BRFR) effort. This initiative is designed to improve the research infrastructure by increasing the number and quality of biomedical and behavioral research faculty investigating health issues disproportionately affecting disadvantaged populations. The proposal is consistent with the institution's renewed interest and commitment to increase both the level of research activity and the number of faculty members engaged in biomedical and behavioral research. We will hire six (6) new faculty members over the next grant period-two each in the biological sciences, environmental health and toxicology, and the pharmaceutical sciences. Start-up funds will be provided to each new faculty member to initiate their research programs. We will establish a new Biomarkers and Environmental Toxicology core laboratory and continued the development and user community of the existing Molecular Biopharmacology and Tissue Culture Laboratory. The involvement of researchers over the total TSU campus is intended to expand on the interface among researchers whose interests may touch on the same areas and particularly focus on aspects of ethnic diseases and environmental health and toxicology It is also intended to significantly expand research collaborations, research productivity and the grant application and the funding base among current TSU faculty.